Bloxygen results

UncleJoe

Joe
Senior User
A couple of years ago I read about or saw a youtube video about this stuff called bloxygen. It is supposed to be an aerosol gas that is heavier than air/oxygen and you spray some into a can of finish before sealing it up to protect the unused finish from going bad. The heavy gas is supposed to create a layer and the oxygen can not touch the liquid. ( that is my layman's explanation)

Well you don't have to be doing wood working for very long before you realize that the can of finish you used on the last job is worthless on the next job because air got to it and ruined it. Some folks have used marble to raise the level of fluid to the top of the can to minimize the air in the can, that can get messy. This stuff sounded too good to be true. So here are my real world results. Your mileage may vary (YMMV)

I had built an oak cabinet for my router table and decided to use Waterlox to finish it. I have had great results with Waterlox but experience told me it catalyzes fast when exposed to air. I had the Bloxygen on hand about half of a one gallon can of finish left. Now Waterlox is great stuff but expensive so I gave the Bloxygen a squirt and quickly put the lid on the can. I wondered what would happen. I left the Waterlox in the original can, I did not move it to a smaller can but that might help even more. I marked the can with a sharpie and included the note about the Bloxygen and the date.

2 years, yes 2 years later I was making a walnut piece and saw the Waterlox in the cabinet where I had left it. I figured I would open it and pour it into a container just to see how bad it was. I was shocked that it was in perfect condition. It was as though I had just opened the can. No sediment, no hardened pieces of finish just pure liquid. I applied the finish in the normal manner and it worked just as expected.

I know there is a lot of advertising hype out there but I am just a hobby guy and not ties to the company and this is what worked for me. If you haven't used it give it a shot. I was very impressed.
 

McRabbet

Rob
Corporate Member
It is very effective -- while it is expensive, it works very well -- I've been using it for years.
 

Roy G

Roy
Senior User
Joe, i have also had good luck with Bloxygen but I didn't like the price. I tried some of those bags that Lee Valley sells to store finish in and they work at half the price of the Bloxygen. But it's not near as convenient since you have to make sure you get all the air bubbles out of the bag and that takes some time and care. Either way you will get to use all your finish so they are worthwhile in my opinion.

Roy G
 

JohnnyR

John
Corporate Member
I use it and my only complaint is because of the 'weight', you can't tell if the can's full when you buy it or if you're about to run out of it.
 

frankc4113

Frank C
Corporate Member
I've been turning all of the cans upside down when storing them and have been getting good results. Not saying that this works better than bloxygen but it's cheaper than buying what amounts to argon gas and paying quite a lot for it.
 

Bryan S

Bryan
Corporate Member
Glad you had a positive experience. I have used it twice and both times was a miserable failure.
 

Phil S

Phil Soper
Staff member
Corporate Member
I have used the bloxygen and it worked well. Recently I have shifted to propane and it seems to work as well and is much less expensive.
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
I have used the bloxygen and it worked well. Recently I have shifted to propane and it seems to work as well and is much less expensive.
Another trick is to open a 2 liter drink, and let "fizz" flow into can. Waterlox contains boiled tung oil and boiled linseed oil, both of which catalize quickly in the presence of oxygen
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
I use the Fillon "Mixing Mate" to store my finishes (poly & shellac) it seals up very tight & I also use bloxygen. It seems the reason it doesn't work for some folks is you must put the required amount in the container. The instructions call for a minute of application. I have found it works well for me.

The Fillon Mixing Mate is the greatest thing I have found on the market for storing & using finishes. It's sold at Woodcraft for around $18. It has a built in mixer and pours like a restaurant syrup container.
Fillon Mixing Mate $18.jpg
 

Barry W

Co-Director of Outreach
Barry
Corporate Member
I have used the bloxygen and it worked well. Recently I have shifted to propane and it seems to work as well and is much less expensive.

Approximately how much propane do you "shoot" into a container of finish?
 

UncleJoe

Joe
Senior User
I like the propane and argon ideas. I don't have argon handy but I do have a little propane torch. It would be easy. Of course there are precautions using propane but even a 5 second blast of propane is likely to be much of a fire hazard. Of course I am no expert so I could be wrong but it seems like a good alternative
 

Barry W

Co-Director of Outreach
Barry
Corporate Member
Can anyone comment on their success, or failure, using one of these gases with a latex product?
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
After demonstrations at the fire academy during my 10 years there I was shown the extreme danger of propane. It is heaver than air so it sinks, but it also travels. It can seem to find an ignition source somewhere, and then the trouble starts. I would NOT use propane as a substitute for argon.

Pop :eek:
 

AllanD

Allan
Corporate Member
Luckily I have a mig welder so I unhook the hose downstream from the regulator and shoot some of whatever inert gas I have hooked up at the time. Usually argon/CO2. Really cheap that way
 

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